Texas A&M’s handling of sexual assault cases questioned

A Texas A&M Corps cadet points to "The Aggie Code of Honor" while giving a tour of the campus to a group of 20 high school prospects who are participating in the "Spend the Night with the Corps" a program designed to help recruit students and show them what life is like in the Corps at Texas A&M University Monday, March 29, 2010, in College Station.
Almost 50 years after membership in the Corps of Cadets at Texas A&M University became optional, the corps is working to remain relevant. Alumni and current members remain loyal, but membership is down to about 2,000 cadets, as the overall enrollment at the school continues to grow.
( Michael Paulsen / Chronicle )

Photo: Michael Paulsen, Staff / Houston Chronicle

Texas A&M’s handling of sexual assault cases is coming under scrutiny after a victim said the school’s Title IX ruling was too lenient.

The school suspended her alleged attacker for one semester and he was allowed back on the Texas A&M swim team.

No criminal charges were filed in the case, but a Title IX hearing in 2016 found the swimmer responsible for sexual abuse and suspended him from the university, according to documents provided to the Chronicle.

“I just feel like it isn’t enough,” the victim, Hanna Shaw told the Chronicle. (The Chronicle does not typically name victims of sexual assault, but Shaw has gone public with her story.)

Since Shaw went public, several other current and former female students from the university have come forward with similar concerns about the school’s Title IX process and penalties administered.

Abbie Hillis, who was raped when she was a junior in 2010, started a closed Facebook group for A&M survivors and in a 24-hour span, the group had more than 200 members. Approximately 30 of those have shared their stories in the group, and as of Wednesday afternoon, 11 were planning to go public with their experiences.

“I have never shared my story until now,” Hillis said. “And I quickly realized that there were so many others. We all demand change. The university needs to do better.”

Texas A&M said that it could not comment on specific cases, but students are sanctioned if they are found responsible for sexual misconduct.

Shaw’s assault occurred in September of 2015. She said she didn’t report the abuse immediately because she was scared and stressed about coming forward.

She filed a complaint seven months later under Title IX, which addresses sexual harassment and sexual violence on campuses.

Agreed on punishment

Both parties agreed to the punishment of a one-semester suspension. However, when Shaw recently saw her alleged attacker’s name on the swim team roster, she sent a letter to the athletic department.

“It just seems like the school did very little,” she said. “He basically took a semester off and there was no real punishment.”

In a post on Twitter last Friday, Shaw copied a part of A&M’s response to her letter. “I regret your displeasure with the perceived impact, and I wish you all the best as you continue to seek healing.”

The issue of sexual assault on campus has grown in recent years, including the scandal at Baylor involving several football players and at Stanford where a swimmer was convicted of rape after an incident at a frat party.

“It’s unacceptable to me that the Title IX office would find a student athlete responsible for rape and then decide that an adequate punishment was a one semester suspension and one semester probation,” said rape survivor and victim advocate Brenda Tracy. “Athletics added insult to injury by giving the athlete a red shirt year and then reinstating him to the swim team. Rape is a life altering life threatening event and this is what we’ve decided is acceptable? If TAMU and athletics wanted to send the message that athletes are more important than rape survivors — mission accomplished.”

Texas A&M said that student athletes are treated the same as other students in Title IX cases and punishment.

“We have a deep commitment to a safe, secure environment for all students; to a fair investigative process; to rights of appeals by parties; and to rendering sanctions to those found responsible for sexual misconduct,” the school’s statement said.

The swimmer who was found responsible has not commented since Shaw’s tweet went viral, but his attorney has been outspoken on social media.

Attorney responds

The Law Offices of Craig M. Greaves posted on its Facebook page in defense of his client that that the encounter was consensual and called out the victim for waiting several months to report it.

Shaw said part of the encounter was consensual but not all of it.

Documents from the Title IX hearing show that the swimmer said they were having “rough sex” but Shaw said no and he didn’t stop.

After hearing Shaw’s story, Hillis started a change.org campaign similar to the one at Stanford after the Turner case.

“We want her rapist removed from campus and we want A&M to look at its policies and change them,” Hillis said. “The minimum punishment is one semester suspension and that is outrageous.”

Hillis said she and other victims share in their frustration that the university doesn’t do enough for victims.

She said she was never told of her rights after her attack.

“At A&M, they get you to believe we are all family and we live by the Aggies honor code,” she said. “It’s a very high standard. But it’s only for the students. The people working there aren’t held to that standard, too, and they need to be.”